Why Burbank Homeowners Choose Ellery ADU Studio Burbank for ADU
Since 2015, Ellery ADU Studio has designed, permitted, and built over 900 ADUs across California with a flat-price, written-scope model that eliminates the designer-versus-builder blame game. Our Burbank branch, led by Nadia Ellery, brings that same Haven Standard to homeowners from the Hillside District to the Media District, with a strong local reputation built on showing our work, not just talking about it.
6 Reasons We’re Burbank’s Top ADU Company
1. We opened our Burbank branch because this market needed a design-build studio, not another contractor
Most ADU projects in Burbank fail at the handoff. The architect draws something the planner rejects, or the builder “value-engineers” what the architect drew, and the homeowner pays for both sides to argue. We’ve been a design-build studio since 2015 because the year California’s ADU law changed, we watched the permitting queue become the actual product. In Burbank specifically, the city’s Planning Division has its own take on state standards, especially on parking waivers and front setback relief. Our drawings are permit-ready for Burbank’s reviewers because we draw them with Burbank’s checklist open.
2. Our reviews come from homeowners who read the three-star reviews first
Our clients in Burbank, North Hollywood, and Glendale are the type who scroll past the five-star fluff to see what the three-star reviews actually say. They find consistent themes: we showed up when we said we would, we documented what we found with photos, and the price on the final invoice matched the price on the initial written scope. That is not an accident. It is Haven Clause 1: Have it in writing, and Haven Clause 4: Evidence on every job. Our strong local reputation comes from homeowners who verify before they trust.
3. Every pro on your job is required to hold the license and insurance California requires
We do not self-certify our crews as “the best” or claim they are all W-2 employees. What we do is Haven Clause 3: Verified crews. Every tradesman working under our name in Burbank must carry a valid California contractor license, general liability coverage, and workers compensation where applicable. Their license numbers are on the paperwork you sign. If a plumber or electrician subcontracts to us, their credentials are checked and documented the same way. We have been state-licensed since 2015, and our Burbank branch operates under that same requirement.
4. We know factory-built ADU systems because we have specified them
Burbank lots are tight. Side setbacks of four feet are common in the Rancho neighborhood, and hillside lots near the Verdugos need foundation strategies that stick-built crews underestimate. We have worked with Abodu, Cover, and Dvele systems on sites where conventional framing would have cost more in crane rental than in materials. We know which factory-built units can clear Burbank’s 16-foot height limit in the R-1 zone, and which ones need a design variance we would flag in the first meeting. That expertise saves six to eight weeks on some jobs.
5. Your price is written, line-itemed, and fixed before anyone breaks ground
Haven Clause 1 is not a slogan. It is a process. When Nadia Ellery meets with you at your Burbank property, she walks the site, photographs the access constraints, and notes the utility locations. Within a week, you receive a written estimate with line-item costs for design, permit expediting, site work, structure, finish, and contingency. If we missed a sewer lateral replacement, that is our miss, not your change order. The price does not shift because we “found something unexpected.” We found it in the first walkthrough, or we eat it.
6. Our warranty is documented, not promised
Haven Clause 5 is No surprises, and that includes the end of the job. You receive a written warranty document with specific coverage periods for structural, mechanical, and finish elements. You also receive a photo log of what we actually installed, with readings where applicable: concrete slump tests, electrical panel torque specs, insulation R-value verification. If something fails, we do not ask you to prove we caused it. We look at the documentation we left, and we fix what our documentation shows we touched.
Our Promise to You
Here is what happens if you are not satisfied with any phase of our work: you call (747) 322-4648, and a live coordinator connects you with Nadia Ellery or the lead on your project within one business day. We review the written scope, the photo documentation, and the specific concern. If we missed something in our scope, we correct it at our cost. If the concern is outside our scope, we explain why, with the documentation to back it up. Our pricing transparency commitment means no door upsell, no “while we are in here” additions, and no invoice that exceeds your written estimate without a signed change order. Our response time promise during business hours is straightforward: we answer calls Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM.
Before
AfterFrequently Asked Questions
Most ADU companies in Burbank are either designers who do not build or builders who do not design. We are a design-build studio, which means one contract, one price, and one party responsible when the planner has questions or the inspector finds an issue. Since 2015, we have refined that model across 900-plus ADUs, and our Burbank branch applies it with local knowledge of the city’s specific parking waiver rules and hillside development standards. Call (747) 322-4648 to schedule your free estimate and see the difference a single point of accountability makes.
Haven Clause 5 covers this directly: no surprises includes no unresolved complaints. If you are not satisfied, we review your written scope and our photo documentation to determine whether the issue falls within our coverage. If it does, we correct it. If it does not, we explain why with evidence. Either way, you get a straight answer backed by documentation, not a runaround. Call (747) 322-4648 and we will walk through it together.
No. Our initial site visit and written estimate are free. Nadia Ellery or a qualified team member will walk your Burbank property, note access and utility constraints, and deliver a line-itemed written estimate within one week. There is no obligation to proceed, and we do not pressure you to sign on the spot. Call (747) 322-4648 to schedule yours.
Yes. Ellery ADU Studio has been state-licensed since 2015, and our Burbank branch operates under that same licensing framework. Every professional working on your job is required to hold the California contractor license and insurance coverage their trade requires, with license numbers documented in your paperwork. We do not invent credentials we cannot produce on request.
We schedule site visits during our regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM. Most Burbank homeowners receive their initial site visit within one to two weeks of calling, depending on current project volume. We do not promise same-day or emergency response for ADU work because ADUs are planned construction, not emergencies, and a rushed first walkthrough is how details get missed that become change orders later. Call (747) 322-4648 to find our next available window in Burbank, North Hollywood, or Glendale.
Written by Nadia Ellery, Owner at Ellery ADU Studio Burbank, serving Burbank and the greater San Fernando Valley since 2015.